Mayo's Aidan O'Shea says he's 'all for' GAA games going ahead behind closed doors
O'Shea: A return of GAA would "help bring joy to people's lives"
Friday 29 May 2020 13:04, UK
The GAA continues to bide its time before making a decision on any return to action.
John Horan has continuously poured cold water on the notion that the action could go ahead behind closed doors, despite calls from several high-profile stars including Bernard Brogan.
Mayo captain Aidan O'Shea feels that if it's safe to do so, games should be played in empty stadia.
"If it has to be, I'm all for it. I want to play a championship in 2020 if at all possible," he said.
"As long as we're guided by the health professionals and take the right precautions, and put in the right procedures around it.
"I am a bit caught with the whole behind-closed-doors thing, because I think as a nation and as an organisation, the GAA is about community and an occasion, supporting your county or your club.
"Not having supporters in it does take away from it for me. It's people's drug or their religion - it's something they go and get huge joy out of. If we go and we can find a middle ground where we play behind closed doors, to help bring joy to people's lives.
"If we can put it on, and it's on telly, that will bring an element of joy back to supporters around the country.
"I absolutely am up for that. It does feel a little bit false in terms of what we are about as an organisation, but if that's the half-way house in the new normal we've got to get used to, then we do it."
Making the best of a bad situation
For all GAA players, this pause in action is difficult, but O'Shea is using the time away from matches and group training to better his own game.
"As a footballer, I'm always aware of weakness," he explained. "If you don't know your own weakness, there's a bit of a problem. So I've always known areas I want to improve.
"I think one of the downsides of the GAA is that as players,...there's no set window of down-time. There's always something.
"This opportunity for me has given a chance for reflection, and a chance to look at my game and work on an element that I want to improve on.
"As a footballer, if you let this time slide and not come back a better player in whatever way that is, you'd be very disappointed."
Nonetheless, he is itching for a return to some degree of normality.
"I think it's incredibly tough for anyone - footballer or not. It has been difficult in terms of not seeing the guys, not training, it's not what we're used to," he continued.
"Most of our lives are built around playing football, and when it comes to the summer months it's built around playing championship.
"It has been very strange. I've been lucky, I've been quite busy with work and different bits. But not getting that release of getting out onto a football pitch and pushing yourself against the guys and having a goal of a championship game coming up has been a bit weird. It's not what we're used to. We've always had training, we've always had a game. Right now, that's not there.
"It's something we've got to adapt to and be ready for whatever comes in the next weeks or months."
